The uncharted ethics of environmental DNA: Potential and pitfalls

The Florida team obtained environmental DNA (eDNA) from sand to research endangered sea turtles. To their surprise, the DNA they collected was of such high quality that they could identify specific disease-related mutations and establish the genetic ancestry of nearby populations.

The scientists even managed to match genetic information to individual volunteers who had permitted their DNA to be recovered for the study, which was published in the scientific journal Nature Ecology & Evolution.

Professor David Duffy of the University of Florida explains, “All this very personal, ancestral and health-related data is freely available in the environment, and it’s simply floating around in the air right now.”

The study revealed that human DNA can seep into the environment via various means like spit, skin, sweat, and blood. This potentially paves the way for wide-ranging applications, including finding missing persons, aiding forensic investigations, identifying archaeological sites, and health monitoring via wastewater DNA. However, the authors of the study caution that this new frontier may have unintended consequences, such as privacy breaches, location tracking, data harvesting, and genetic surveillance.

Matthias Wienroth, a senior fellow studying social and ethical aspects of genetics at the University of Northumbria, UK, emphasises the need for vigilance in such scientific pursuits. “It is important to preserve human autonomy, dignity, and the right to self-determination over personal data,” he said, underlining the complexity of obtaining consent when DNA collection is ubiquitous and largely unavoidable.

Wienroth also points to the risk of incidental eDNA findings entering databases and possibly undermining informed consent and confidentiality. He urged foresight in genetics and genomics research to address these emerging challenges.

During their investigation, the Florida researchers uncovered what they termed “human genetic bycatch” while studying green sea turtles. This led them to a more in-depth exploration of human DNA in the surrounding sand, ocean, and rivers, as well as in the air of a local animal clinic.

From these diverse samples, they were able to identify genetic markers linked to European and Latino populations, along with variants associated with diseases like autism, diabetes, and cancer.

Duffy elaborated, “These sequences recovered both the nuclear and mitochondrial regions of the human genome, which means that we can easily determine if a male or female was walking in the sun or present in a room depending on whether or not we sequenced the X or Y chromosome.”

However, as the boundaries of scientific innovation expand, the need for ethical governance and for public dialogue around expectations of DNA privacy grows.

While the possibilities of misuse might seem distant, the science is here. Therefore, the discussion and regulation of its ethical use must follow in step.